Energy Healers' Distance Healing Experience

The purpose of this study was to describe the experience of energy healing practitioners (specifically, Healing Touch) use of distance healing to provide insight into the methods, practice, and experience from the providers' perspective. One hundred and fifty-three energy workers participated in the open-ended survey. Overall, the experience of using distance healing during the pandemic was positive for practitioners in both giving and receiving. Practitioners also reported primarily positive feedback from their patients. A few respondents reported feeling hesitant about using distance healing and preferred hands-on work. However, distance healing was generally seen as providing flexibility to the practitioners' work, connection, and enhanced understanding of the human energy field.

Exploring Latino Perspectives in Childhood Fever: Beliefs, Practices, and Needs

INTRODUCTION

Latino parents have significant knowledge gaps and misconceptions about fever. In this study, we explored Latino beliefs and practices around fever and its impact on their care decisions.

METHODS

A qualitative-focused ethnography was conducted with 21 Latino parents. Semi-structured interviews were completed, and inductive thematic analysis was used to identify themes and subthemes.

RESULTS

Three major themes emerged: (a) the meaning of fever; (b) seeking guidance; and (c) navigating fever. Subthemes included: a sign of folk illness, a sign of infection, trust in health care providers, watchful waiting, and barriers and needs.

DISCUSSION

Latino parents have significant knowledge gaps about the role of fever in illness. They engage multiple systems of care but rarely share their fears with health care providers. Culturally-sensitive interventions incorporating traditional and biomedical approaches are needed. Findings can help inform future interventions targeting knowledge gaps in this population.

A Continuing Mission: Development of a Veterans' Baccalaureate Nursing Program

BACKGROUND

With more than two million veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, programs are needed that prepare veterans for careers in civilian life. Veterans desire to continue their education and require assistance accessing their GI Bill, other financial benefits, receipt of college credit for military training and experience, and adapting to the college environment.

METHOD

A veterans baccalaureate nursing (VBSN) program addresses the challenges of veterans getting into and staying in school. This VBSN program was developed to provide academic structure and support from a dedicated veteran case manager. Policies were created to address the need for student veterans to petition for course credit based on their military training and experience.

RESULTS/CONCLUSION

The VBSN program has been successful, growing from three students to 29 currently enrolled and 34 graduates. This program meets the needs of student veterans while adding to the nursing workforce. [J Nurs Educ. 2021;60(11):646-650.].

Cancer-related Fatigue Reported in Online Discussion Groups

Fatigue is a prevalent cancer-related symptom that is difficult to communicate, define, and treat. To obtain robust descriptions of symptoms, participants were recruited into two online groups that consisted of their dialoguing together in an asynchronous, threaded discussion forum. Participants dialogued for 5 months and completed pre- and post-participation demographic data and symptom ratings. Survey data were described, and change scores were calculated. Excerpts from the dialogue were analyzed using phenomenological techniques. The 28 participants reported low symptoms that did not change significantly from pre- to post-participation. Phenomenological analysis revealed three themes: descriptions of "bone-sucking fatigue," a search for meaning or answers about the fatigue, and attempted remedies. Online support groups provide a venue for sharing symptom experiences, adding to existing knowledge about symptoms in survivors. These descriptions provide information that will aid in developing patient-centered interventions.

Impact of Pediatric Critical Illness and Injury on Families: An Updated Systematic Review

PROBLEM

Pediatric ICUs (PICU) that have adopted family-centered care models welcome families to the critically ill child's bedside to partner with clinicians in decision-making and the provision of care. The aim of this review was to synthesize the evidence on the impact of critical illness and injury on families of children admitted to the PICU to identify research needs in pediatric critical care.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

This systematic review included quantitative and qualitative studies that examined the experiences of families of children admitted to a PICU published between 2005 and 2019.

SAMPLE

33 articles were selected for inclusion in the final analysis after screening those identified by searches in CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, and reference lists of included publications.

RESULTS

Main parental stressors included the sights and sounds within the PICU, child acuity, changes to family functioning and parenting role, and uncertainty of the child's outcome. The most common need of parents was to be well-informed. Psychological, physical, and social impact of hospitalization were experienced by parents from days after admission to years after discharge. Spirituality was identified as a coping mechanism in half of the studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Parents experience negative effects of the ill child's admission to the PICU and to PICU exposure.

IMPLICATIONS

Careful consideration of the impact of the PICU admission on family members of critically ill or injured children is needed when implementing family-centered care strategies. Future research on other family members including the healthy sibling needs to be conducted.

Culturally sensitive care of the Muslim patient

The number of Muslims in the United States is growing. This article outlines a few of the major beliefs in Islam. Religious and philosophical factors that affect health care are discussed, and practical suggestions are made for nursing actions that lead to culture care preservation, culture care accommodation, and culture care restructuring. Major topics covered include the need for cleanliness, preparation for prayer, modesty, family structure, fasting and diet, and care of the dying.

Critical pathways: application to selected patient outcomes following coronary artery bypass graft

As health care reform evolves in the United States, many hospitals are implementing strategies to contain the cost of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. The purpose of this study was to examine the length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) after CABG surgery relative to the number of hours, postoperation, when ambulation occurred, and to examine the overall postoperative length of hospital stay. The study found a significant difference between ICU length of stay and the time when ambulation was initiated (t(150) = -2.68; p = .004). These results suggest that CABG patients with shorter ICU stays begin ambulation sooner, thus potentially reducing the risk of postoperative complications as well as cost. No other significant differences were demonstrated.

Adolescent sexuality and sexually transmitted diseases: attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, and values

This study described rural adolescents' attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, and values with regard to sexuality and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Rotter's Social Learning Theory (1954) provided the theoretical framework for this descriptive, correlational design. The convenience sample consisted of 170 students from one rural high school. Consistent with past studies, results included the following: participants had more correct than incorrect knowledge related to sexual intercourse and STDs; the majority had positive attitudes toward condom use and believed it was OK for peers to have sex with a "steady;" the value of an exciting life correlated positively with attitudes toward sex; knowledge of sexual intercourse correlated positively with attitudes toward condom use; and the value health correlated positively with knowledge of sex and attitudes toward condom use, and negatively with attitudes toward sex. The findings in this study suggest the need for ongoing research with adolescents in the area of sexuality and STDs. Additionally, the findings support past studies, which revealed that knowledge of sexual intercourse and STDs has little impact on attitudes toward sexual intercourse. With the serious nature of some of the undesired consequences of adolescent sexual behavior, current and accurate information on this population is needed to assist health educators in developing interventions in this area.

Association Between Continuing Education and Job Satisfaction of Nurses Employed in Long-Term Care Facilities

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this descriptive, correlational study was to investigate the relationship between continuing education and job satisfaction among RNs and licensed practical nurses (LPNs) employed in long-term care facilities.

METHOD

Herzberg's Motivational-Hygiene Theory was used as a framework to guide the design of the study. The Professional Educational Activities Scale and the McCloskey/Mueller Satisfaction Scale were completed by 110 nurses employed in long-term care facilities.

RESULTS

No difference was found between type of employment status (full-time versus part-time) on the level of professional educational activities. However, RNs participated in more continuing education activities than LPNs. Nurses who reported higher family incomes also had greater participation in educational activities. Registered nurses reported greater job satisfaction than LPNs. No significant difference was found between the degree of job satisfaction for Black and White nurses. The results of this study indicated nurses who participated in more continuing education activities scored higher on the job satisfaction scale.

CONCLUSION

As the elderly population increases, a critical need exists for nurses to be knowledgeable about current research-based information, including the economic and psychosocial effects of illness in later life. To provide the most effective care for the elderly population, nurses in long-term care must be knowledgeable about the complexity and specific characteristics of chronic illnesses. Continuing education activities are an important way to access this information.

Rural women's knowledge of and attitudes toward acquired immune deficiency syndrome

We surveyed the knowledge of and attitudes about acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) of 236 women living in a rural community. The design of the study was descriptive, using the AIDS Knowledge and Belief Survey. There was a significant positive correlation between attitude scores and knowledge scores. Women who had read about AIDS had significantly higher knowledge scores than women who had not read about AIDS, but there were no significant differences between the attitude scores of women who had and had not read about AIDS.

Nursing journals read and assigned most often in doctoral programs

Five doctoral faculty members were randomly selected from each faculty group of 35 doctoral programs in nursing to identify which nursing journals they read most often and which nursing journals they assign most often to doctoral students. Five nursing journals were consistently ranked 1-4 as being read and assigned most often. These journals are: Nursing Research, Advances in Nursing Science, IMAGE: Journal of Nursing Scholarship, Research in Nursing and Health, and Western Journal of Nursing Research. Implications for editors, reviewers and research consumers are discussed.